A tense incident unfolded at Jayanagar Metro station in Bengaluru on Monday when BJP MP Tejasvi Surya was detained by the police, where he attempted to stage another protest against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka for the proposed hike in metro fares. The MP staged a demonstration with an empty trunk to convey that the state government's promises are empty.
Notably, the metro fare has been increased from Re 1 to Rs 5 depending on the distance. The hike has now been put on hold.
This comes amid the ongoing dispute between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the Centre, with each blaming the other for the proposed metro fare hike.
The protest was also in response to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's statement that Surya is an empty trunk who is more active on social media and not on the ground.
Arresting me, won't silence me!: Surya
In an X post, following his release, Tejasvi Surya slammed the Karnataka government, alleging "broken" finances. He asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to restore cash support to Bengaluru's 'Namma Metro'.
"Arresting me won't silence me! Shameful that the Congress government arrested me for exposing the truth: That this is a 'Khali Trunk' Govt. That Karnataka's finances are broken, and citizens are paying the price through rising Metro fares and soaring costs. No more excuses. The Chief Minister must present a White Paper in the Budget and answer one question: Why are the State's finances weak, as you have admitted before FFC? Why is it becoming unaffordable in Karnataka? Why is the State increasing prices every day? Fix the finances, restore shadow cash support to Metro, and Metro fares will fall. Anything else is deception," the BJP MP wrote.
Metro fare hike put on hold after Centre's intervention: Surya
According to Surya, it happened after the Centre's intervention.
Speaking to PTI after being detained, Surya said, "Just because we are asking for affordable public transport and accountability, the government is forcing arrest and detention. It's shameful." He said that instead of providing roads, infrastructure, and better amenities, the state government is "arresting" him.
Speaking to reporters, he also said, "Metro fare hike has been put on hold for the second time due to pressure from the Union government. The state government should release a white paper on the economic situation."
Also Read: Bengaluru metro fare hike put on hold amid commuter fury and BJP-Congress clash
Also Read: Bengaluru Metro hikes fares by 5% from February 9: Check revised rates across all zones
